Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has expressed her support for Palestine in a photo but faced backlash due to what was seen as an antisemitic symbol.
In an Instagram picture that has since been deleted, Thunberg posed with three of her friends holding pro-Palestinian signs. In particular, she was shown holding a sign reading "Stand with Gaza."
"Today we are striking in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza," her caption wrote. "The world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice, and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected."
According to the Daily Mail, there was a stuffed toy of a blue octopus in one of her friend's knees, which some Jews and pro-Israel supporters perceived as an antisemitic caricature of an imaginary worldwide Jewish conspiracy.
One of the persons who posed in the picture also held a sign reading "This Jew stands with Palestine," purporting that the person was a Jewish pro-Palestine supporter.
It has come to my knowledge that the stuffed animal shown in my earlier post can be interpreted as a symbol for antisemitism, which I was completely unaware of. The toy in the picture is a tool often used by autistic people as a way to communicate feelings.
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 20, 2023
We are of course…
Thunberg's Apology and Explanation
In response, Thunberg deleted the original photo and replaced it with a version of the picture cropping the octopus out. She explained the stuffed octopus was "a tool often used by autistic people" to communicate their emotions.
"It has come to my knowledge that the stuffed animal shown in my earlier post can be interpreted as a symbol for antisemitism, which I was completely unaware of," she said. "We are of course against any type of discrimination, and condemn antisemitism in all forms and shapes. This is non-negotiable."
Thunberg has been open about her being autistic since she became a climate activist.
Public Backlash
However, Thunberg's apology did not appease some social media users, including her critics and even pro-Israel climate activists.
"[Greta], Hamas missiles aren't made of sustainable materials," Israeli foreign ministry head of digital operations Tamar Schwarzbard said. "They also murdered teenagers who could have been your friends."
It was reported on Thursday (October 19) that a 12-year-old autistic girl named Noya Dan and her 80-year-old grandmother Carmela were found dead by Israeli emergency workers after they were reported missing.
Some of them said she glossed over the massacre Hamas did during a sabbath holiday earlier this month, while Israel Defense Force (IDF) spokesperson Arye Sharuz Shalicar told Politico that he would consider those who support Thunberg as a "terror supporter."
He has since retracted his statement, saying that he spoke "out of a deep sense of pain" and "does not reflect [his] personal views or those of the IDF."
Former Israeli Environmental Minister Tamar Zandberg took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, her criticism of the young climate activist.
"I belong to the Israeli left that supports peace and human rights," she wrote. "What [Hamas] did on October 7th has nothing to do with those values, nor with the Palestinian claim for freedom."
Investigative journalist David Collier also noted that she alienated everyone who was "concerned about the climate who doesn't support Hamas terrorists."
"Thunberg really is a prize idiot," he added.
Thunberg was recently arrested for protesting an oil and gas conference in London.
